Supplementary file 1_Balancing novelty and familiarity: a person-centered approach to openness to change and conservation values in tourism.docx

This study examines how openness to change (self-direction, stimulation, and hedonism) and conservation values (conformity, tradition, and security) are associated with preferences for novelty and familiarity in vacation experiences. Unlike prior variable-centered studies, this research adopts a person-centered approach to identify profiles based on within-person value structures.

Using latent profile analysis on data from 498 US tourists, we identified four distinct value profiles: Tradition-focused, Stimulation-focused, Strong, and Weak. The Tradition-focused profile aligns with conservation values, favoring familiar experiences, while the Stimulation-focused profile, aligned with openness to change, favors novel experiences. The Strong profile places high importance on both openness to change and conservation values, showing the most balanced preference for new and familiar elements among the four profiles.